Late Summer Blues? Support Your Earth Element

Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes this time of year (late August - late September) as the 5th season, the Late Summer season. While the shortest in length of the five seasons, Late Summer is significant in terms of the profound shifts we feel. As we move away from the hot, long days of summer and yang energy, we start to feel the subtle shift towards cooler days of fall and the reintroduction of yin (quiet, slow) energy. This transitional period can bring up feelings of melancholy and sadness as the summer winds down. If you’ve always felt a little sad this time of year, you’re not alone.

Late Summer season is associated with the Earth element and the Spleen and Stomach, which are responsible for processing not only food but also emotions and experiences. When your Earth element is imbalanced, you may have more feelings of worry or feel more anxious. Additionally, when the Spleen is weakened, it will lead to overthinking and melancholy.

Supporting yourself with these simple tips below can help improve your mental and emotional well being over these next several weeks:

Get Grounded: Simply walking barefoot on the earth, or sitting outside in nature will help balance our Earth element and bring you back to your center, creating a feeling of being grounded.

Sing: Singing isn’t just good for the soul, it’s good for the Spleen. Sing in the shower, belt out your favorite tune in the car and you’ll move stagnate energy in the body and help harmonize your Spleen.

Warm it Up: Keep your Spleen in balance by limiting cold, raw foods. Think less salads and smoothies and more warm, cooked foods. Moving towards warmer foods this time of year will better support your Spleen and in turn help your emotional well being.

Deep Breaths: Grounding back in to your body after a season of go, go go, will help support anxiety or worry. Take a few minutes daily for some deep belly breathing. Or get on any one of our tables to balance your Earth element and reconnect with yourself.

Acupressure: Stimulating Stomach 36 can lift feelings of heaviness or depression. Help ease digestion and the combat the blues by working this area on the lateral side of your lower leg. Gentle pressure for 1-2 minutes daily can help harmonize your Earth element.

With a few simple rituals, you can better support your body and therefore your emotional well being through this profoundly transitional season of Late Summer. As always, we are here at Therapeutic Bodywork to support you through it all.